TheThe perfectperfect destinationdestination toto learnlearn andand havehave fun!fun! Business Studies and Tourism Workbook AS/A2 Suitable for students of Business Studies, Applied Business Studies and Leisure and Tourism Studies l Human Resources l Business Planning l The Marketing Mix l PEST and SWOT analysis
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College or School AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism WelcomeWelcome toto PortAventura!PortAventura!
The Education Team welcomes you to PortAventura Theme The PortAventura theme park features five distinctly themed Park and Resort; it’s great to have you with us. We hope that areas: Mediterranea, Far West, Mexico, China and Polynesia. this AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism workbook will help In total, the theme park features more than 30 attractions, 100 you with your studies. daily live performances, 75 restaurants and food outlets, 20 shops and 10 game areas. If you want to re-enter PortAventura Whilst you are part of the team in PortAventura, you will on the same day just hang onto your ticket and get your hand need to talk to some of our staff at Guest Information Points stamped as you exit the park. and the Tourist Office, as well as some local Spanish people, to find the answers to the interview questions, as well as The Información al Visitante (Visitors’ Information Office) carrying out research in the resort (our staff can be identified is located just within the entrance to the Park in the by their name badges and uniforms). We suggest you bring a Mediterranea area, other information offices are based in notebook and pen to help you for note taking – if you forget Polynesia (opposite the Kon-tiki Wave ride) and the Far West they are on sale in the shops in the resort. (by Stampida). As well as the interview questions, we have some project The Dragon Khan rollercoaster has looped its eight loopings sheets for you to complete plus some facts and figures about three million times, six million blazes have roared in the the resort. The project sheets can be completed from the Templo del Fuego and the restaurants have used 60 million interview answers and your research whilst in the resort, on plates. Be sure to visit the theme park’s latest attraction your way back home, or in the classroom on your return. – Hurakan Condor – but not after lunch – it’s quite a drop! We hope that this workbook will put your learning into The Caribbean themed Caribe Aquatic Park is laid out in practice in a fun way. Good luck with your studies. two zones: one indoor and the other open-air. It includes indoor and outdoor attractions, game areas, restaurants The PortAventura Education Team and spectacular swimming pools that impeccably reproduce everyday Caribbean atmosphere. A few things you might like to The complex employs around 4,000 people. There are cooks, know about PortAventura: waiters, shop attendants, etc., but also stuntmen, kite fliers, acrobats and jet ski riders. The employees represent 35 PortAventura is located in the heart of Costa Dorada, between different nationalities. Many come from the surrounding the coastal towns of Salou and La Pineda, just one hour areas, from Vila-seca or Tarragona, but some also come from from Barcelona airport and 10 minutes from Reus Airport. as far a field as Zaire and Jordan. It consists of two parks: the PortAventura theme park and All this makes for lots of stories. In the Lost and Found the Caribe Aquatic Park, and three themed hotels: Hotel department alone, there is a new story every day: a nun’s veil, PortAventura, Hotel El Paso and Hotel Caribe. Don’t forget to an orthopaedic leg, a girdle and a bat (the flying kind) called pick up a resort guide so you can find your way around. Frankie, and of course, thousands of caps, mobile phones and sunglasses have all been handed in. AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Interview Sheet 1 HumanHuman ResourcesResources
(1a) Introduction Facts and figures on PortAventura: Human resources are the people that work for a company l PortAventura staff: 4000 in the high season, 2000 in the and human resource management is concerned with how low season. Guest service 325; food and beverages 1500; these people are managed, however in reality it means more shops 360; rides 500; auxiliary services 250; support 400; than that. People are different from the other resources of a games 160; artists 500 company – they have thoughts and feelings, aspirations and l PortAventura recruitment: 45,170 application forms needs and human resource management covers both the received; 8,540 interviews; 3,076 new workers employed needs of the company and the needs of its people. l National and international recruitment: European Job Ask two staff members at the Information Points their views Service (Eures); work experience with students from – what did they expect when they came to the resort, have universities and schools in Spain, Europe and other their expectations and needs met? If not, what improvements countries would they like to see? l PortAventura training: 550 courses; 7,905 participants; 78,955 training hours. Initial training: knowledge, skills, (1b) Recruitment attitudes, professional training l For a business to be successful, employees with the right Workers services: human resources services center; skills and attitudes have to be recruited and trained. workers meeting point; rest areas and dining rooms; help PortAventura recruits through press, radio and TV, the with accommodation and transport Internet, job fairs and work forums and even sends offers via mobile phones. Ask two members of staff at different Information Points how they were recruited and the recruitment process they went through. Does the process vary with the different types of jobs in the resort?
(1c) Training and development Select one of the roles that you see in the resort, it could be a restaurant manager, a receptionist, or someone working in the boutique. What type of training do you think they would have had to undergone to be successful in that role?
(1d) Employee motivation Elton Mayo’s research at the Hawthorne plant in Chicago showed that workers are more motivated by emotional than economic factors. Give two ways in which a resort such as PortAventura can ensure that staff are involved and that they feel important. AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Project Sheet 1 HumanHuman ResourcesResources
Write an advertisement and job description for a senior receptionist in one of the hotels in PortAventura. Here is an advertisement for a current vacancy as an example of the style used here in the resort.
Example: WaiterWaiter inin PortAventuraPortAventura resortresort restaurantrestaurant Requirements Role Profile l Minimum of 2 years experience of working in the l To attend to and satisfy all customer needs with the restaurant and/or catering industry greatest of efficiency and politeness l FPII Catering Diploma or equivalent l Prepare the menu and tables in preparation for the l Available to work in the province of Tarragona (if you arrival of our visitors are not from the surrounding area, our accommodation l Share all team duties such as cleaning plus other support office will help find suitable living ad-hoc responsibilities arrangements) l Assist in the preparation of all meals on the menu l Hard working and enthusiastic candidate with proven customer service skills What we offer l Fixed term contract for minimum of 6 months with a view to an eventual permanent contract based on performance l Shift intensive work during the morning and/or the evening l 2 days leave per week l Potential to grow and develop career in dynamic company l Opportunity to develop key skills/qualifications in relevant training courses Telephone:Telephone: 00000000 000000 00000000 forfor anan applicationapplication formform AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Interview Sheet 2 BusinessBusiness PlanningPlanning –– Ansoff’sAnsoff’s MatrixMatrix
Ansoff’s Matrix was first published in the Harvard Business Review in 1957, in an article called ‘Strategies for Diversification’. It is one of the most well known frameworks for deciding on strategies for growth. Our examples relate directly to the marketing of PortAventura.
Product / Market Present New
Present Market Penetration Product Development New Market Development Diversification
(2a) Market penetration (2c) Product development Market penetration refers to marketing existing products to Product development is when a new product is marketed to existing customers. For PortAventura it means increasing people who have already visited the resort. PortAventura revenue by promoting the product, repositioning the brand carries this out through the marketing of new rides and and so on. However no changes are made to the product and attractions to existing customers. no new customers are sought. Discover the latest attraction at the resort – what is the How can PortAventura achieve market penetration? target market? Do you think it will achieve its objectives? Give two examples Give your reasons. 1
2 (2d) Diversification Diversification is when new products are marketed to new customers. When they launched the Caribe Aquatic Park, PortAventura used related diversification, which meant they remained in the market they are familiar with. (2b) Market development Suggest a practical but unrelated diversification for PortAventura to develop i.e. one where they have no previous Market development means marketing an existing product industry or market experience. How would you market it and to a new market. Here the product stays the same but it is to whom? marketed to a new audience. How would you achieve market development for PortAventura? AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Project Sheet 2 BusinessBusiness PlanningPlanning
Choose one heading from the Ansoff Matrix (market penetration, product development, market development or diversification) and prepare a business plan for putting a growth strategy into practice. Some suggested headings are: l Introduction – the long term goal of the strategy l The Company – as it is now l Services – what you plan to offer l The market – who you are planning to sell to l Financial considerations – where the money will come from l Objectives – deadlines, anticipated results l Keys to success – major influences on the success of the plan AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Interview Sheet 3 TheThe MarketingMarketing MixMix
The marketing mix is probably the most famous phrase in marketing. Although most people know the ‘Four Ps’ (price, place, product and promotion), some marketers will increase the mix to ‘Seven Ps’, to include people, physical evidence (such as uniforms, facilities, or livery) and process (i.e. the whole customer experience e.g. a visit PortAventura). As you go around the resort consider how the Seven P’s apply here.
(3a) Product (3e) People PortAventura has a life cycle just the same as any other A customer facing organisation such as a theme park relies product and it must offer new shows and new attractions to heavily on its staff; however a European theme park also tempt the customer back time and time again. What new ride has to consider the languages spoken by the visitors. As you or attraction would you recommend for the resort? What type go around the resort consider the problems that this may of customer are you aiming at? cause and how they have been overcome. What else could PortAventura do to help overcome this problem?
(3b) Price (3f) Physical evidence Investigate the pricing strategies for the resort, either through a brochure or on the website, www.portaventura. Although the Universal Studios characters still have a heavy com, before you travel or from guest services. What are the presence in the resort, PortAventura is very keen to reinforce differences in high or low season? Are there any special offers its own branding. How well do you consider they have for local people who might want to visit in the evenings or at achieved this? Look at particularly at signage (menus, fascias, weekends? Are there any special offers at certain times of signposts etc) and uniforms. the year?
(3g) Process (3c) Place PortAventura has developed from a theme part to a resort, Within the marketing mix, place usually refers to channels forming a complete customer experience. There are several of distribution, but in terms of a theme park it can also be benefits – talk to some of the staff at the Information Points to related to its physical position. Investigate the accessibility find out their views and then add some of your own. of PortAventura to visitors not only from Spain but from the rest of England. How easy is it to get here? Visit a local Tourist Information office or research on the internet to find out about road, rail and air links.
(3d) Promotion There are a variety of ways to promote a theme park. From your knowledge of PortAventura, which three methods do you think are the most suitable promoting the resort? What are your reasons? Select from personal selling; sales promotion; public relations; direct mail; trade fairs and exhibitions; advertising; sponsorship AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Project Sheet 3 TheThe MarketingMarketing MixMix
As part of the marketing mix, it is essential that PortAventura knows its customers, whether existing or potential. Accurate market research is the key to their success. Develop a marketing questionnaire based on the information from your research on the Seven P’s. You can choose either qualitative or quantitative research, and you should include guidelines for your researcher. AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Interview Sheet 4 PESTPEST AnalysisAnalysis
A PEST analysis is a technique for identifying and listing the (4c) Sociocultural factors political, legal, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors in the general environment most relevant to a The social and cultural influences on business vary from business at the time. The following questions will help you country to country. It is very important that such factors are with a PEST analysis for PortAventura. considered before big investments in business are made. Here are some that you might like to examine: l What is the dominant religion?
(4a) Political factors l Does language impact on the profitability of the company?
Politics can have a huge effect on the regulation of businesses l Do the local people have much time for leisure? Are they and the spending power of customers. Through internet an important factor in marketing the resort? research, and by talking to people during your time in Spain, find out the answers to these questions: l How stable is the political environment in Spain? (4d) Technological factors l What is the government’s policy on the economy? Technology is vital for competitive advantage, consider l Does the government have a strong view on culture the following: and religion? l How could technology keep PortAventura high on the list How do their replies compare to life in the UK? of resorts to visit? l How could technology help the visitor with checking in, checking out etc?
(4b) Economic factors l How has marketing changed with the introduction of new Marketers need to consider the state of the local and national technologies e.g. Internet sales, e mail marketing? economy in the short and long term. Through the Internet investigate: l Interest rates l The level of inflation employment level per capita l Long term prospects for the economy GDP per capita
What is your overall view of the economic situation of Spain? Does it assist or hinder the marketing of PortAventura?
Background on Spain Spain has a population of 39 million and received more than 57 million visitors a year. It covers an area of 504,780 sq km. Madrid is the largest city, followed by Barcelona and Valencia. Spain has 17 independent regions called comunidades autónomas. Catholicism is still the predominant religion in Spain, although Church attendance among those under 35 has declined in recent years to below 25 per cent. After the death of dictator General Franco in 1975 Spain became a constitutional monarchy under King Juan Carlos 1. The GDP remains below the European Union average and economic growth has been spread very unevenly around the country. Tourism provides approximately 10 per cent of the country’s earnings. AS/A2 Business Studies and Tourism Project Sheet 4 SWOTSWOT AnalysisAnalysis
A SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision making for all sorts of situations in business. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats and these headings provide a good framework for reviewing the strategy, position and direction of a company. It can be used for business planning, strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing and business development. From what you have learned from your investigations into PortAventura, complete the SWOT analysis below with at least four points for each heading. We have given you a few questions to consider when completing your analysis.
Strengths Weaknesses
What advantage does PortAventura have What features could over other theme parks? be approved?
What does the resort do better than anyone else? What should be avoided?
What is their Unique Selling Point? How is the competition doing?
Opportunities Threats
What are the good opportunities facing the resort? What obstacles does the resort face?
What trends could be to their advantage? Are peoples needs changing?
How do changes in social patterns, lifestyle etc Could any of the weaknesses seriously affect the resort? threaten the resort?